Stress Management

We all deal with stress in our daily lives. As the founder of RARP-ID Fitness, a brand focused on accessible at-home workouts, I often hear from our community about the stress they face from work, relationships, family obligations, and more. The good news is there are surprisingly small, achievable steps for stress management we can take to better manage the stress we face.

In this blog post, I’ll share researched-backed tips that have personally helped me foster healthy stress management amidst the hustle and bustle of entrepreneurship and raising a family. My hope is that these practical pointers not only help relieve your stress levels but improve your overall wellbeing.

The Link Between Exercise and Stress Management

It’s no secret that exercise provides a long list of health benefits, both physical and mental. But you may be surprised just how powerful physical activity is when it comes to managing stress.

Research has shown that regular exercise helps our bodies better respond to stressors. As noted in a [published in National Library of Medicine]:

“Physically active and fit individuals have a lowered physiological response to psychosocial stress and they recover more quickly from stress than less active or unfit individuals.”

Additional research, including [a study analysis by ADAA.org] found that exercise leads to endorphin production (the “feel good” hormones), regulates cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and uplifts mood.

The takeaway? Incorporating more physical activity into your regular routine is one of the most effective ways to combat daily stressors. Even short workout sessions can make a meaningful difference.

5 At-Home Exercises to Relieve Stress

Carving out time for the gym isn’t always feasible when you’re balancing work, family life, and other obligations. The good news is you can perform simple yet effective stress-relieving exercises right from home with minimal equipment.

The following 5 exercises can help calm your mind, release muscle tension, and give your body a healthy way to cope with stress when you’re feeling overwhelmed:

1. Shoulder Rolls: Sit or stand with proper upright posture. Lift your shoulders up toward your ears. Gently roll them backward in a circular motion, repeating 5–10 times. This helps alleviate upper body tension.

2. Neck Stretches: Sit or stand with proper upright posture. Slowly tilt your head toward your right shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch, holding for 5 seconds. Repeat on the left side, completing 5–10 reps per side. This stretch helps relieve neck tightness.

3. Bodyweight Squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, engage your core, and lower your hips into a squat position. Hold briefly then press through your heels back to start, completing 10–15 reps. Squatting is physically demanding which helps divert your mind from stressful thoughts.

4. Glute Bridges: Lie faceup with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press through heels to raise hips up, squeezing your glutes at the top, then slowly lower back down. Aim for 2–3 sets of 10–12 bridges. Focusing on the movement helps take your mind off stress.

5. Child’s Pose: Kneel on all fours with big toes touching and knees hip-width apart. Sit your hips back to your heels then walk hands forward and relax your upper body over legs with arms extended. Hold for 5 deep breaths. This resting pose quiets your nervous system.

You can perform these stress-relieving exercises anytime, no gym required! Simply use our portable [ RARP Resistance Bands] to add resistance to movements like the glute bridges for an extra challenge.

Stress-Busting Tips for Your Daily Routine

While we just covered exercise, changing small habits in your regular routine can also help you maintain healthy stress levels. Here are 4 simple yet research-backed stress management tips:

1. Start a meditation practice. Meditation goes hand-in-hand with exercise when it comes to stress relief. One [study by Johns Hopkins] found that meditating for just 10–20 minutes per day can substantially lower stress. Try setting aside time to quietly sit and focus on your breath or listen to a guided meditation app. It works wonders to calm frazzled nerves.

2. Set an earlier bedtime. When we’re stressed, it often negatively impacts our sleep. But better sleep also provides stress relief benefits. Getting adequate shut-eye leads to lower cortisol levels and improved stress resilience. For most adults, that means aiming for 7–9 hours per night. Consider setting your bedtime 30 mins earlier to help unwind and rest more.

3. Laugh more. They say laughter is the best medicine and that applies to stress too. Watch a comedy special on Netflix or share silly jokes with your kids. Laughing releases endorphins which counteracts the effects of cortisol and adrenaline.

4. Practice gratitude. Taking time to reflect on what you’re grateful for has been shown to [ lower stress and uplift mood]. Each day, write down a few things big and small that you’re grateful for. It could be your loving family, satisfying job, health, favorite café near the office, etc. This simple act helps provide perspective when you’re caught up worrying about everything on your to-do list.

Stress is an inevitable part of life but incorporating small wellness habits into your days can go a long way toward keeping it under control. My hope is the practical tips and do-anywhere exercises I shared above help you better manage stress as you juggle your busy schedule.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other strategies for coping with daily stressors! I always love learning new ways to practice self-care while staying active as an entrepreneur and dad.